Steaming apparatus



Oct. l0, 1933. J, c. CROWLEY ET AL STEAMING APPARATUS Filed Maly 18. 1931 Patented Get. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rescates s'rEAMlNG APPARATUS Application May 18, 1931. Serial No. 538,040

1l Claims.

This invention relates to a device which in its use is intended for giving a heat treatment, preferably by the use of steam, to the human scalp.

Specifically, the invention relates to a device which is portable and may be adjusted to various heights to suit the necessities of the occasion of its use, and the head-piece of the apparatus is further adjustable in a longitudinal direction to facilitate its use.

Further, the device provides an electrically operated device whereby heat is obtained bythe use of an electric current to vaporze water or other fluid which is directed to the scalp of the person being treated through suitable passages in the apparatus.

Additionally, the apparatus provides a headpiece which is made of paper or other similar material which may be readily mounted upon and removed from the head-piece so that a new paper treatment, thereby adding a sanitary feature to the apparatus.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in

which:

Figure l is an elevation, with portions in section, showing the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation o1 a portion of the apparatus; and A Fig. 5 is an elevation of a hood used with the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a base member to which is secured an upright tubular portion 2. Within the tubular portion` 2 there is a second tubular member 3 which telescopes with the tubular portion 2, and the member 3 is adapted to be raised and lowered in-order to vary the height of the apparatus.

Secured to the tubular member 3 is a spring pressed latch 4, and mounted within the tubular member 3 but not movable therewith are two parallel members 5 and 6. The member 5 is stationarily mounted and is provided with a series of openings along its forward edge, as indicated at 5ar these openings being adapted to receive the latch member 4, and when the latch member 4 is in engagement with one of the openings 5a, it supports the tubular member 3 in its adjusted elevated position.

As before stated, the member 6 extends parallel with the member 5 and is provided with a plurality of snubbingprojections 'l which are upon the forward portion of the member 6 and in posimember may be used in connection with each tion to engage with a portion of the latch 4 when it is desired to snub or push the latch 4 out of engagement with one of the depressions 5'.

The member 6 has an extension 8 which at its lower end is articulated to a lever 9 which is pivoted at the point 10. This lever is provided with a foot engaging portion 11 so that when the foot engaging portion 11 is depressed it will cause the member 6 to be elevated and so snub the latch 4 out of engagement with the particular depressibn 5a with which at the time it is in engagement.

Surrounding the extension 8 is a spring 12 which at one end abuts against a partition member 1a of the base and its opposite ends abuts 70 against a collar 13 which is secured upon the extension 12.

At the upper end of the tubular member 3 there is a casing 14. This casing is hollow and is adapted to receive a removable container 15. This container at its upper end is provided with a lip 16 which engages with a flange 17 which is formed upon the inner wall of the container 15. Thus a support for the receptacle 15 is provided. The receptacle 15 has a re-entrant tubular portion 18 which is adapted to closely t upon an electric element 19 which suitably supported in the housing 14. The electric element is by means of an electric cable 20 connected with a suitable source of electricity.

The container 15 at its upper end is provided with a pivoted bail 21 which bail has a loop portion 22 which is adapted to engage with a hooked member 23 that is supported upon a cover member 24. This cover member is provided with threads upon a part of its exterior surface that are adapted to engage with threads formed on the outer end of the casing 14 so that when the cover 24 is screwed upon the casing 14 it becomes, in effect, attached thereto.

The cover 24 is provided with a handle which in the present instance comprises two arms 25 and 26 which are joined by a handle 27. By means of the handle2'7, the cover 24 may be fastened upon or removed from the casing 14, and, furthermore, when the cover member 24 is secured upon the casing 14, the handle 26 serves as a means for lifting the whole apparatus and moving it from place to place. f

Upon one side of the casing 14 there is secured an auxiliary handle 28 -which may also be used in moving the apparatus from place to place.

At the upper end of the casing 14 there is a lateral tubular extension 29. This extension is adapted to receive the reduced neck 30 of a mem- All@ ber 3l. The member 3l may be secured to the tubular extension 29 in any appropriate manner, as by means of a set screw 32. The member 3i supports a member 33 which at its rear portion is provided with a dish-shaped part 3ft which cooperates with the cylindrical portion 35 oi 'the member 33. The portion 35 has an extending flange 36 which at the upper portion thereci is provided with a retaining member 37, and at its lower portion is provided with a retaining member 38 which comprises a rod 39 having a stop member l0 at one end thereoic against which abuts a spring Zil, which spring surrounds the rod 39. The opposite end of the rod 39 extends through an opening in the flange 36 and is provided with an elongated button d2. The button is or such sine that it cannot pass through the opening in the iiange 35 through which the rod 39 extends.

.d hood d3 is used in connection with the device which has just been described, this hood being or the general iorrn which is indicated in lrig. l ci the drawing. The hood is preferably made of paper or some similar flexible material which is ci small intrinsic value so that after once being used it may be destroyed. and a new one employed. ilu connection with. a subsequent use oi the apm paratus. rlhus it is possible to use a new hood connection with each scalp treatment lor which the apparatus is used.

l'lhe paper hood at its rear portion is cylindrical and is attached at the upper portion or the inember 35 by means oi the retaining member 37. The hood at its lower portion is provided with a suitu able opening through which the button member l2 entends and when the button member is turned one-hali a revolution, it engages upon opposite sides ci an opening in the hood so as to retain the hood in place.

The forward portion oi the hood is shaped so as to conveniently-'receive the head or the person to whom treatment is being applied, with the lower portion of the hood cut baclr, as indicated at 43a, so as to :tit against the bach oi the neclr. or the person being treated.

The portion 3l, which was previously described, is provided with a duct 3l?. .Pit the upper end of the duct 3ln the member 3l is provided with a valve de which is mounted upon a shaft l5 which is better shown in Fig. 2. This shaft, at -itsouter end, is provided with a handle d6. By operation of the handle d6, the valve member d4.- may be moved to open or closed position, as well as to any desired intermediate position.

In using the apparatus, the handle 27 as well as the handle 28 may be used in lifting and moving the apparatus to the place where it is desired for use. The cover 24 is removed, and the desired amount of liquid, such as water, is placed within the receptacle i5, after which the cover is replaced. Bypressing upon the member il which, as before described, is associated with the base l, the latch member 4 is disengaged and therefore the hood and the parts asociated therewith may be elevated to the desired extent, whereupon the member 11 is released, which permits the latch l to engage in an adjacent notch 5a in the member 5, thus holding the hood at its proper elevated position.

It it is desired to give any lateral adjustment to the hood, the same may be accomplished by releasing the set screw 32 and turning 'the member 30 and the parts carried thereby 'to any adjusted lateral position, after which the set screw 32 should be tightened.

With the apparatus thus adjusted, the electric current is caused to pass to the heating element 19, which causes the heating oi' the water or other liquid in the receptacle l5, causing a mixture oi steam and vapor to pass forwardly from the receptacle through the channel Sila into the interior of the head member 35 and to the interior or" the hood d3, thus bringing the steam and vapor into contact with the scalp of the person being treated.

As has before been described, the portion 3ft of the head member is concave, and by suitably opening the valve d4, the steam and vapor coming from the receptacle l5 may be caused to pass into Contact with the interior surface or" the porn tion 34 which will cause the steam and vapor to be distributed uniformly throughout the hood and so come into contact with all portions of the scalp of the person receiving treatment.

Surrounding the casing le is a series oi rods fl? the purpose oi which is to form a guard so that the hand or hands of the person manipulating the apparatus may be lrept from contact with the casing le which of course becomes cuite hot in the course ci the use oi the device when the heating element .1.9 is active.

The heating element i9 needs no specific description inasmuch as it specifically iorms no part oi present invention, and this heating element may in its construction be oi suitable ioiin oi which there are many commercially available.

in 5, the hood which is used with the apparatus is more particularly shown, as be fore explained, it is suitably mounted upon the head 35, more particularly on the flange 36 carried by the head 35 so that it may be Quickly attached and detached.

Preferably the hood is made or a piece oi paper in one piece which. may be rolled into cylindrical shape with the free edges overlapping, as indin cated at i8 in Fig. 5. These iree edges are provided with a buttonhole opening i9 which openn ings are adapted to slip over the button 42 which is shown. in lig. l. When the openings i9 are slipped over the button d2, the button may be turned as indicated in Fig. 5 so as to extend transn versely of the openings 49. As before explained, the hood is provided with an opening at the upper part thereof so that it may be engaged by the retaining member 36.

The sanitary features in connection with hood such as described have been heretofore reierred to in the specification.

Obviously many specific changes and variations of the apparatus which is herein shown may made without departing from the spirit oi the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: l. in apparatus of the character described.

the combination oi a standard, a housing supported upon the standard, a head member, a hol low conduit adjustably supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said member, said head member being provided with a converted rear portion which acts as a steam deflector, and a hood member detachably secured upon the head. member.

2. 'in apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing supported on said standard, a head member, a hollow conduit supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said member, said head member being provided with a flange, a hood having a portion which is .alle

Wrapped around said flange, and retaining means carried by the flange and engaging the hood.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing mounted upon said standard, a head member, a hollow conduit supporting the head member from the housing and communicating with the housing and said member, said head member being provided with a flange, a hood member made of ilexible material, said hood member being adapted to be Wrapped around said ange and said hood having overlapping end pieces, and a retaining member carried by the flange and engaging the overlapping ends of the hood.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing mounted upon the standard, a head member, a hollow conduit supporting said head member from the housing and communicating with the housing and said member,`said head member being provided with a convexed rear portion the interior surface of which acts as a steam deflector, said hood also being provided with a flange, a iexible hood having a part thereof wrapped around the said ange, and retaining means carried by the flange and engaging the hood.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing mounted upon the standard, a cover closing one end of the housing, a receptacle within the housing, and means connecting the receptacle with the cover whereby when the cover is removed the receptacle is removed with it. v

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing carried by the standard, a cover for closing one end of the housing, a handle associated with the cover, a head member supported by the housing, and a hollow conduit supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said member.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the

combination of a standard, a housing supported upon the standard, a cover for closing one end of said housing, a handle carried by the cover, a receptacle within the housing, and means connecting the receptacle with the cover whereby when the cover is removed the receptacle is carried with it.

8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a cover closing one end of said housing, a handle carried by said cover, a second member associated with the housing, a head member, and a hollow conduit supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said member.

9. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an adjustable standard, a housing carried by the standard, a cover member for one end of the housing, a handle associated with the cover, a head member, and a hollow conduit supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said mem` ber.

l0. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing mounted upon the standard, an electric heating element supported within the housing, a receptacle supported within the housing and having a reentrant portion which telescopes with the heating element, a cover associated with an open end of the housing, means for connecting the cover with the receptacle, a head member, and a hollow conduit supporting the head member from the housing. Y

11. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a standard, a housing supported on said standard, a guard means mounted upon the housing and spaced therefrom, a head member, and a hollow conduit supporting the head member upon the housing and communicating with the housing and said member.

JOHN C. CROWLEY. ADELBERT E. BRONSON. 

